Riding the Storm Out
by rachelanne716
Summary: Percy looked her over and nodded. She seemed to be about his age, a hair shorter than him, but way more confident. He finally put the skateboard down. "I'm Percy." He said. "Annabeth," She sighed, "It's great to see a face that isn't dead and trying to eat me." Percy managed a weak laugh, "Yeah it is." (Zombie AU)


Pick up, pick up, pick up.

Percy skirted around the corner, cellphone held to his ear. He slammed his back against the wall and tried to control his breathing.

He could still hear it, limping around and moaning. Percy's knees almost buckled beneath him and he struggled to keep it together. Breathe. In and Out. Focus.

Pick up.

It went to voice mail for the fifth time. It was just as chipper as the last time he heard it a minute ago, "Hi! Jackson residence! We're aren't home at the moment but if you leave yo-"

Percy cut the call and froze. He strained his hearing, but didn't pick anything up. Hope sprouted, tiny and timid within him and for the first time all day he considered the possibility of actually living.

Carefully peering around the corner, Percy spotted his professor kneeling over the spilled out body of a fellow student, its face buried in the bloody stomach. Percy quickly shut his eyes. Pulling back behind the corner he gave a shaky sigh. It was too much to ask that it had left.

He just needed to make it out of the science building, get to his car, and then maybe have some semblance of safety. The only way to get there however was blocked by his professor. He shook his head; it wasn't his professor anymore.

Making a split decision that would probably get him killed, he stashed his cellphone in his pocket, gripped his skateboard tightly, and stepped out from behind the wall.

He took a tentative step forward, then another one, then another. Being more quiet than he ever had been in his entire twenty years of life, Percy attempted to walk around the otherwise occupied figure.

The soft noises of teeth clicking and the squelching of blood was enough to make Percy sick. The sight however almost made him faint the closer he got.

It shifted and Percy stilled. Then it buried its face even deeper into the flesh with renewed vigor. Continuing his slow walk, Percy set a trembling foot down directly into a puddle of blood. The ground fell out from beneath him and he crashed onto his butt.

Scrambling to his feet, Percy heard a loud moan, and his heart skipped a beat. Before he was standing, it was hurtling toward him and Percy screamed, running for his life.

Pure terror and adrenaline coursed through his body. Percy felt like a hot wire sparkling with an intensity he'd never felt before. He made it to the door within a few seconds.

There was a body of a boy lying directly outside and Percy lunged at the door trying to wrench it open. It budged, but not enough to let him through.

Spinning around, Percy found himself less than ten feet away from it. Moving faster than any of the movies ever made him believe they could, it was almost upon him. Still doing his best not to pass out, Percy gripped his skateboard so hard he thought his fingers might break.

Its face so close and gaping and empty, Percy summoned everything he had left and swung.

The force of its face breaking sent tremors up his arms and the skateboard clattered to the ground. Percy gripped his hands together. Its body was thrown backward at an awkward angle, the face now sunken, completely unrecognizable.

It twitched and Percy quickly picked up the skateboard and slammed it a few more times into the head for good measure.

His shaky legs finally gave out and he kneeled next to it. Tears prickled at his eyes, but now wasn't the time. He was in too open of a space to loose his cool.

Despite telling himself he had to get moving, Percy stayed kneeling for an indefinite amount of time. He thought about searching the bodies for wallets and taking the contents since it wasn't like they needed it anymore, but it felt so wrong he immediately decided not too.

He stood up, skateboard dripping and headed back to the door. Putting his weight against it, it moved slowly and soon he was outside stepping over the boy. The boy's body hadn't been mutilated yet, but it was only a matter of time. Percy spotted a bite mark close to the neck and quickly moved away, leaving the art building far behind him.

He made it to his car without once seeing another human being. Well, alive that is. A few bodies stirred when he walked by them and it freaked Percy out, but he wasn't about to go bashing everything he came across. They weren't there, not really, but it still felt wrong when the skateboard collided with and ended an undead life.

Unlocking the door, he slid inside and for a moment relaxed. Rubbing his eyes, he was startled by a loud thump. Glancing up, he saw a body slamming itself against his windshield. Fumbling with the keys, he started the car and sped out of the parking lot, wincing from the loud crack when he ran over its body.

He drove for an hour before the city loomed above him. Only a few times did he see actual human beings. They all looked as bad as he felt. Twice he stopped and offered a ride. The first time the man refused and said he was headed in the opposite direction. The second time, he mistook one of them for living and felt like crying when he saw how young it looked.

Stopping on an overpass where he could see clearly for miles, he got out of the car. Leaning over the railing, Percy emptied his stomach and heaved when there was nothing left.

Wiping his mouth, he got back in the car and continued to drive. The fuel gage was almost empty. It wouldn't matter much longer anyway. Once he was in the city, it would be too crowded to continue to drive.

The car lasted him longer than he had hoped and he managed to get a few miles in by driving on abandoned sidewalks. Too soon, though it sputtered and died and refused to keep moving. He stared at the steering wheel and mustered up the courage to leave the safety of his car.

New York was eerie when it was dead. They called it the city that never sleeps and growing up here, Percy was attuned to the hustle and bustle of its people. Anyone still alive was either holed up or left the city. With humor he didn't know he still had, Percy thought that tumbleweeds would be appropriate. He imagined one blowing past in front of him and smiled before someone came ambling out from a building.

Sinking low in his seat, Percy breathed lightly, hoping it would just go away. He kept glancing at his phone and didn't dare look again until an hour had passed. It was gone and he breathed a sigh of relief.

It was 7:18. The sun had already set enough to dim his surroundings. Soon it would be dark and Percy didn't fancy moving through an undead city at night. He couldn't spend the night in his car though, too many windows.

Looking around he assessed each of the buildings. The part of New York he was in wasn't the nicest of neighborhoods and one of the storefronts had boarded up windows and a padlock on the door.

Glancing in the cup holders he grinned when he found a bobby pin. It used to annoy him when Rachel left her things scattered in his car, but he was grateful for her messiness now. His smile died when he remembered.

He grabbed the skateboard and the few energy bars he had lying in the back seat and opened the door. He made his way across the street to the store. The padlock was old and Percy had no trouble picking it with the bobby pin. Stepping inside, he pulled the old chain and padlock off and decided to keep them.

He looked around briefly at where he would spend the night. Completely empty and dark, he found it no safer than when he was standing in the street.

Percy collapsed. It was all too much. All of this was too fucking much. He couldn't handle this right now. He slid down the wall of the abandoned store and brought his knees up to his chest.

It was bad enough seeing it all first hand, but now it just kept replaying over and over in his mind.

Blood. Blood was the first indicator that anything was wrong and it was everywhere. Percy had gagged at the smell. Flashes of his classmates. Broken windows and sobs and screams. Oh god the screams. He closed his eyes tightly.

It didn't stop the images from flooding his brain. One after the other. The bodies were burned into his retinas, forever a part of who he was.

His body was shaking and he hugged himself. What he wouldn't give to be wrapped up in his mom's arms like a child again, hidden away from the worst of the world.

His eyes stung at the thought of his mother. Tears welled up and threatened to run down his face. He pulled his cellphone out and dialed his home phone.

No one answered.

It bubbled in his chest and spilled out, loud sobs that he couldn't stop. As quickly as they formed, the tears fell and travelled down his cheeks. He felt like he was going to fall apart. The adrenaline that he had been relying on was fading quickly and left only exhaustion and a splintered feeling in its place.

Percy brought both hands up and gripped his head tightly. The eerie quiet surrounding him pressed in on all sides. New York was never quiet. This was wrong. Everything was so wrong. Even if the lights were on and the city moving, Percy could swear he would be able to feel them out there. So not human. So much more like monsters than he ever imagined.

It took a long time but the crying ebbed away. He felt lost without it like he didn't know what to do next.

He sat up and peered warily out the window through the boards. The street was as he had left it. The lights of the city had stopped shining hours ago. Percy didn't think nighttime could be this dark. Shadows hung everywhere, preventing him from seeing any farther than a block in either direction. When the sun was setting, Percy had expected the darkness, he just didn't expect that he was going to be afraid of it.

A loud crash behind him made Percy nearly jump out of his skin. Grabbing his skateboard he whipped around, heart pounding, breath catching, muscles clenching and found himself face to face with – with a girl.

She had wild curly blonde hair and grey eyes hard and unrelenting like stone. Her stance was guarded, she was scared but sure of herself and she had a gun pointed at Percy's head.

Percy stood immobile, his hands holding the bloodied skateboard in front of his body. It was a poor excuse for defense but it was all he had to work with at the moment. The girl studied him and he her.

She spoke first, "Have you been bitten?"

"Does it look like I've been bitten?" Percy clamped his mouth shut quickly. Great. Sass the girl who's holding the gun pointed at your face, good survival strategy.

"….No." She lowered the gun. "Sorry, can't be too sure."

Percy didn't feel quite comfortable lowering the skateboard so he continued to hold it, "Have you been? Bitten, I mean?"

She scoffed, "Of course not." Holding out her arms and any other viewable skin, "See."'

Percy looked her over and nodded. She seemed to be about his age, a hair shorter than him, but way more confident. He finally put the skateboard down. "I'm Percy." He said.

"Annabeth," She sighed, "It's great to see a face that isn't dead and trying to eat me."

Percy managed a weak laugh, "Yeah it is."

They didn't speak for a moment. Percy grew uncomfortable with her staring until she said, "I – I'm sorry for sneaking up on you. I heard you from outside and had to come check if you were human." She looked down, "I haven't seen another person in hours."

"You heard me?" Percy repeated dumbly before her meaning sunk in. His cheeks flamed in embarrassment, "Oh…yeah."

"If I had a tissue," She said, "I'd offer one to you."

"Uh," He scratched the back of his head, "Thank you, I guess."

She looked down at the floor, "Do you think we could sit? I haven't sat all day."

Percy nodded and once again found himself against the wall with his knees up, this time sitting next to Annabeth. She leaned back on her hands and rolled her head breathing deeply. He could tell that her body was wound up tight like his was. He felt stretched so thin that a light breeze might snap him in half.

They sat in silence for a while. Percy fiddled with the wheels on his skateboard until he noticed the dried blood caked on its bottom. It sunk in, he killed, well re-killed someone. The thought sent him reeling and he swallowed the rising bile in his throat.

Turning his skateboard over, he set it off to the side and stubbornly avoided looking at it.

"I smashed my professor in the face with my skateboard." He burst out.

She turned wide-eyed and stared at him.

He floundered for a moment, mouth opening and closing before he managed to speak again. "I mean he was already dead and he was coming at me and I didn't kn-"

"I shot three people." She interrupted and it was then that Percy noticed how gingerly she was holding the gun, as if it would explode at any moment.

"Already dead?" He asked. Her eyes bored into him and he found he couldn't look away.

"Yes, you idiot," A ghost of a smile, "Already dead."

"Did you know them?"

She hesitated and looked away from him, "…No."

Percy didn't know what to say after that. He too looked away and stared at the opposite wall.

Wringing his hands nervously he glanced back over at her. Her left hand laid limply at her side and he briefly considered reaching out and taking it. Who knows when the next time he could initiate human contact?

Just as he was about to reach out and grasp her hand-

She straightened up like she had made up her mind about something, "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind having someone else around." He opened his mouth and then closed it again, unsure. "You know, it'd be easier with two sets of eyes on the lookout."

Percy found his voice, "Yeah, yeah of course."

Annabeth looked visibly relieved and Percy understood why. The thought of having another person by your side, a _living_ person was extremely comforting. He wouldn't have cared if a mass murderer wanted to team up with him right now. Anyone was better than going at this alone.

It also helped that this anyone was a girl and a pretty cute one at that.

"Partners?" He smiled at her.

"Partners." She confirmed and held out her hand for him to take. He grasped it and they shook once before separating. His hand tingled at the loss of contact.

Percy woke up in a small pool of his own drool. He sat up and attempted to wipe the dried parts off his cheek. Oh god, his mouth was dry. When was the last time he had something to drink?

"Good, you're awake."

Percy turned to see Annabeth sitting near the boarded windows, surveying the outside. Her body was positioned toward the door, but her face was turned toward him. "Yeah, sorry didn't mean to sleep that late. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"No," She looked back to the window, "It's good that you slept, store up energy while you can."

He eyed her. There were large bags under her eyes and she looked alert, but her body was straining as though it took all of her willpower to stay sitting up. "Did you- Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Nope."

"Uh, okay." Percy pressed his lips together, overly aware of how much of a stranger his new 'partner' was, "Why not? If you wanted me to keep lookout you should have ju-"

"No, no, I just couldn't fall asleep." She laughed but it was hollow, "Too much adrenaline, helps in the moment, but now my body can't calm down."

Percy suspected it was more than that, but he didn't pursue it. Last night it took him hours to fall asleep because he kept seeing the faces of his dead classmates and teachers. He hadn't told her about that and figured she had similar images floating around haunting her as well.

He stood up and stretched his aching limbs. Turns out running for your life really works every muscle in your body. Go figure.

He walked over to Annabeth and peered out the slates in the window as well. There wasn't anything in sight, but still, the thought of leaving the abandoned store to go back out there kicked Percy's heart into a frenzy.

Memories from the day before threatened to overwhelm him and his stomach churned. Percy was grateful it was empty or else he's pretty positive he would have thrown up. Again.

He didn't even notice his breathing had gotten quick and shallow until Annabeth's hand rested lightly on his shoulder bringing him back to the present.

She had stood and was looking at him in a way that said she knew exactly what was happening inside his head. He grabbed her hand, squeezed it, then dropped it, mumbling out a, "Thanks."

They stood in silence for a few moments before Annabeth spoke.

"So," She began, "I think gathering supplies is the most important thing to do right now. Since this epidemic is relatively new, most places won't have been ransacked yet. The wise thing to do is stockpile food and ammo. Oh and we should definitely get you a better weapon than that skateboard. You got lucky the first time, but it-"

"Whoah," Percy stepped back from her, "Slow down. What's your long term plan?"

"To survive." She stated simply.

"Don't you have people, family or friends or anyone you should be looking for?"

She blinked, stunned, then looked down, "No."

"Sorry about that…" He thought about reaching out and offering comfort, but decided against it.

"It's fine." She cleared her throat, "Do you have someone?"

Percy felt awkward and uncomfortable, "My mom. Well I hope, I mean I'm sure she's fine. I came to New York to find her, to go home."

"When was the last time you spoke?"

"Yesterday morning."

"Then she's most likely dead. Going to your apartment is a waste of time and an unnecessary risk." Percy gaped at her, but she kept talking, "You're lucky I found you, you were on a suicide mission. Do you know how many people were infected in New York? Millions. We need to leave."

"I'm not leaving without my mother." Percy clenched his fists. This partnership was starting to feel a whole lot like a dictatorship.

"Honestly Percy," Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Think logically. Leaving New York is the best option. It's possible other states haven't been affected yet."

"I won't leave my mom behind, not until I know for sure."

"You're being ridiculous!" Her eyes flared as she spat the words at him.

"She's all I have. If it was your family, could you live with not knowing?"

He saw the wheels turning in her head behind those unwavering eyes and for a moment, Percy was afraid she would just drop him like dead weight and leave him behind. She sighed and he relaxed his hands. "Fine, but as soon as we know. Dead or alive. We're leaving the city."

"Alright," Annabeth stopped outside the convience store to take a quick breath, "Remember the plan?"

Percy rolled his eyes, "Yeah Annabeth, its not that complicated."

She pushed the door open a crack and peeked in, "A mistake will get us killed, so sorry if I'm being to careful for your liking."

"That's not what I meant," Percy muttered.

"What was that?" Her eyes were piercing.

"Nothing."

It was only his second day since he met Annabeth and Percy was finding that the two of them, well they didn't really get along. She was careful, calculated, and strategic in all of her actions. He just wanted to get home as fast as possible and according to her, that made him "reckless".

Two days, four hours, and thirty-two minutes. That's how long Percy has gone without any contact from his mom. He stopped trying to call the phone at their apartment after the first day so she probably wasn't there and yet he still had nowhere else to look.

Annabeth smacked him upside the head. "Stay with me Percy. Not a good time to be day dreaming."

He honestly doesn't know why he's still hanging around with her.

She pushed open the door and stepped into the store. Percy stepped in as well, but stayed by the door while she swept the isles for supplies. He hummed a soft melody under his breath and kept his eyes on the road outside. The eerie quiet of New York he noticed his first night back had only gotten creepier.

He heard shuffling and a groan from the back of the store. Spinning around he saw an old man coming toward him moving much faster than his age would suggest was possible. His eyes were sunken and glazed over. Percy almost felt bad for him, but then Annabeth came from another isle and shot the man in the head.

The rotting body hit the floor with a thud. Percy swallowed back his vomit. He was getting used to the taste of bile in his throat. At least he hadn't thrown up the last three times Annabeth killed one.

In her arms she carried a large assortment of food and hanging on her back, her pack was stuffed full of water bottles. When she was a few feet away from him she tossed him a cassette player. He fumbled, almost dropping it. "Found it in the back. Must've belonged to the old shop owner," She nodded at the body on the floor, "The batteries still work so I don't have to listen to your humming anymore."

"Hey! My humming's not that bad."

She raised an eyebrow at him then smiled, "Just take the gift."

He popped open the tiny player and sitting inside was an old mix tape. There was a faded label with the list of songs on the side. "Awesome!"

"That's the only tape so it probably won't take us long to get sick of it."

Percy pushed the tape back inside and pressed play, Ridin' the Storm Out started, "Get sick of all these great oldies? Not gonna happen."

Annabeth laughed at that, "Turn around, the rest of the food's going in your pack."

Percy started singing along to the words,

 _And I'm not missing a thing, watching the full moon crossing the range._

He felt Annabeth tug open the zipper on his back pack and dump the food inside. Most of it was perishables, the things that wouldn't last long on the shelves, like fruit. They could come back for the packaged and preserved items later.

 _Ridin the storm out. Ridin the storm out._

Annabeth was humming along and Percy smiled. Maybe having music around would cut through the tension between them. They needed each other to survive and he'd rather not hang around a grump all the time.

She zipped the pack up. "Alright, let's keep moving. I think we can make it to your home today depending on how many dead we come across."

 _My lady's beside me. She's there to guide me. She says that alone we've finally found home._

He turned back to face her and smirked, "Zombies. Just call them zombies Annabeth."

She headed for the door.

 _The wind outside is frightening, but it's kinder than the lightning life in the city._

"I'll call 'em whatever I want Percy."

"I dunno, it just sounds cooler when you say, 'I killed a zombie'"

"I'm not killing them, they're already dead."

"They have to have some brain activity to be moving, right? So their bodies might be dying or dead, but something's still alive."

"It doesn't matter!" She snapped at him, "Just drop it."

Percy reeled back and watched as she stomped off into the road. And here he thought they were finally starting to get along.

 _It's a hard life to live but it gives back what you give._

He turned the music off and followed her, stashing the cassette player into the pocket of his shorts. She was already a ways on down the street and he decided to just follow at a distance to give her time to cool off for whatever it was.

Percy hadn't really thought about the end of the world a whole lot. The few times it had crossed his mind, he just assumed they'd all go out with a bang, something quick and explosive and fiery. He would have never thought the end of the world would be so abandoned looking, guess he didn't think he'd make it this far to see anything at all.

He expected a lot more zombies. Like A LOT more. So far, him and Annabeth had only come across a handful. She's killed four during their time together and they've avoided at least six. Man was he lucky that he managed to meet someone with a gun. The skateboard clipped to the back of his pack was feeling less and less like protection with every zombie that he saw.

Annabeth rounded the corner at the end of the block and anxiety rose to clench Percy's heart. Not having her in his sights made him more nervous than he would ever admit to her. His footsteps sped up and he turned to an empty street.

"Annabeth?" He said. He started jogging, peering into windows and down alleyways. He was checking down a side street when something grabbed his shoulders from behind and pushed him. Percy was man enough to admit that if his bladder were full, it wouldn't have been anymore. He yelled and jumped in the air.

The sound of barely controlled laughter brought Percy to his senses and he turned to find Annabeth hunched over clutching her side. She snorted when she saw his face, "Oh my god Percy, that was even better than I thought it would be."

He huffed as his heart rate returned to a more normal pace, "Glad you thought that was funny."

"Okay," She was struggling to compose herself, "okay okay I'll admit that was a little mean, but it seriously looked like you jumped at least three feet off the ground."

He crossed his arms, "I thought you were a zombie! I could have killed you."

She saw how serious he was and busted up laughing again, "What with your skateboard?"

Feeling a little hurt at that statement, Percy stalked away from her, making his way down the street.

"Aw come on, I needed a laugh. I promise I won't d-" Annabeth suddenly stopped talking.

He spun around, "What?" he said angrily, "what now?!"

Her face was ashen and she was about twenty feet away from him now. She spoke in a low calm voice, "There's a dead one half a block away, if we're quiet we might be able to slip off before it sees us."

Percy laughed, "Yeah right, you're just trying to freak me out again." He went to keep walking away from her until he spotted a tall man missing an arm with his back to them. Percy watched, frozen, as three more emerged from inside a store and joined with the one armed zombie.

Careful not to make a noise, he turned and sprinted back toward Annabeth. Throwing a glance over his shoulder he saw that he wasn't quick enough. Two of the four had broken away and were chasing him from behind. In no time he passed Annabeth as she stood, gun stretched out in front.

Three shots fired into the air and Percy heard a dull thud as only one found its target. He grabbed her shirtsleeve, "Come on! We can't fight three with one gun."

"I already took down one," Her eyes flitted to the last three, "I can take the rest."

Percy grabbed his hair, turning on the spot. They were gaining on him and Annabeth and she just stood there, calm as ever, aiming her gun. Out of the corner of his eye he saw three, no four more lumbering toward them from the opposite direction. Shit shit shit.

"Annabeth…" Was all Percy could manage to get out.

She looked, "Oh shit shit," They made quick eye contact before they were running down a side alley, Percy's backpack slapping across his back, heavy and lumpy.

Percy's long legs were stretched out as far as they would go and his breathing was becoming more and more ragged. If he had known how important running would be to his survival, he would have tried out for track and field instead of swimming. Annabeth was a natural. She looked as if she could run circles around Percy, but instead was holding back to run beside him.

Not looking where he was going, Percy's foot fell heavily into a pothole in the road, sending him sprawling on the pavement.

He heard Annabeth's muttered, "Fuck." Then felt her hands under his arms lifting him up almost immediately. She was surprisingly strong.

Her eyes flitted back to the now mob of zombies after them, then to his bloodied knees. "I'm not a good runner." Percy said.

"No shit." She spun in a half circle then faced him again. "We need shelter."

He grinned, finally something he could help with, "Come on, I know a place not far from here." Percy jogged over to a low hanging fire escape and hoisted himself up. His hands grasped at the worn bars until his feet were high enough to step on the bottom rung of the ladder. Maybe swimming wasn't a mistake; after all he wouldn't have gotten upper body strength from running.

Once on the landing, he turned around to lower the ladder to the ground, but Annabeth was already working her way up. He offered his hand to her when she reached the top and she grabbed it.

Before climbing the rest of the way, Percy glanced below. The mob had followed them. He wasn't sure if zombies could climb, but he's glad he didn't have to lower the ladder for Annabeth.

After jumping a few rooftops, Percy finally recognized the apartment building he was looking for. He pulled Rachel's bobby pin from his pocket and jimmied the lock open to get to the roof staircase.

Annabeth whistled in appreciation. "Use that trick often?" She asked.

Percy didn't smile. It wasn't a trick he learned for the fun of it. "Only when I have to."

She followed him down the stairs and out onto the eighth floor of the building. He stopped at apartment 803 and pulled out his wallet, grabbing a key from its folds. He paused before unlocking the door. "My friends live- well used to live here, I guess. I haven't heard from them for a couple days."

Annabeth pulled out her gun. "Do you want to wait out here? I can search the apartment."

Percy shook his head, "No, but could you go in first?"

"Of course."

One shaky breath later and Percy was pushing the door open, stepping off to the side to let Annabeth in. Gun held out in front, she quickly disappeared down the hall. Percy remained in the living room and took it all in.

Everything was exactly like he remembered it. Plants littered the apartment, the smell from the herbs in the kitchen lingered around him. There were clothes hanging off the couch and the game console blinked from the corner. Percy fingered the remote on the coffee table, thinking of all the late nights he spent sitting in front of this TV.

"Percy," Annabeth's head poked out from the bedroom. She wouldn't look him in the eye, "I found two bodies, a guy and a girl."

Percy's breath hitched in his throat and before he knew it he was at the door, Annabeth standing in front of him. She held a hand out to his chest, "Are you sure you want to see?"

He swallowed, "He was my best friend, I need to know." She nodded and stepped aside.

The first thing Percy saw when he walked in the room was Juniper. She was lying on the floor, a large gaping bite mark spreading out over her shoulder. Under her head was the largest pool of blood Percy had ever seen. His hand flew to his mouth and he choked back a sob.

Percy bent down and with shaking hands, he closed Juniper's eyes. He knew why she was dead, but he couldn't picture the carefree girl as a zombie during her last moments. He studied her face and noted the dried blood around her mouth.

A hand fell on his shoulder and he jumped before realizing it was Annabeth, attempting to offer some comfort. He patted her hand then pushed it off. "Could you leave please?" He asked.

She didn't answer him, only walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Sitting on the bed was Grover. His eyes were closed and Percy could almost imagine he was asleep, if it weren't for the open and empty pill bottle clenched in his hand.

The tears were flowing freely now and Percy could barely see his friend's face through the blurriness. He dropped heavily to the bed, Grover's body shifting slightly from the added weight on the mattress. Percy grasped for Grover's left hand, pulling the bottle from it, revealing a bite on the palm. Percy ran his thumb over it then fingered his friend's engagement ring.

Juniper and Grover were supposed to be married this summer. The date was set for June 27th. Grover had asked Percy to be his best man and despite having a long history of procrastination, Percy wrote his speech months ago.

Percy's chest heaved and he felt snot dripping from his nose. Grover would never hear exactly how much he meant to Percy.

Percy angled his face to Grover's and rested his forehead against the unruly curls on top of his friend's head. He felt like he was shaking like a leaf in the wind, his sobs escaping from him unbidden and unwanted. He wanted something to blame, something to kill, something to help ease the pain.

He eventually pulled away and clenched his eyes shut, wiping furiously at them.

Anger, hot, all consuming coursed through him. Grover didn't deserve this.

His fist collided with the wall behind Grover's head, leaving a hole and a dull ache spreading over his knuckles, but the anger remained.

Percy heard the door open as his head fell into his hands and he pulled at his hair. He didn't look up as Annabeth reached for his bicep and gently pulled him after her. Before he left the room, he realized this would be the last time he would get to see either of his friends. One last glance, then Annabeth had shut the door again.

Her face was dry, but her eyes were puffy and glistened with unshed tears. Percy didn't mention it.

She deposited him on the sofa then walked off to the kitchen. Soon she returned with two glasses of water. Percy accepted his, but didn't take a drink.

"Do you still want to stay here?" She asked. Her hands were gripping the glass so hard Percy could see the whites of her knuckles.

Percy nodded numbly. Annabeth left the room again and Percy heard her shuffling around in the kitchen cupboards. He couldn't bring himself to do anything but stare at the wall of photos Juniper had set up.

There was one in the center that showed the three of them in Percy's apartment, arms around each other, laughing at a joke Grover had told. There was another photo of Juniper outside gardening and another of Grover wading in the ocean behind a surfboarding spec that Percy knew was himself.

Annabeth came back holding two steaming bowls. "I found some easy mac," She said setting a bowl down on the coffee table, "Thought we could eat something warm."

Annabeth settled into an armchair, pulling her legs up beneath her. Percy expected her to say something, to ask him questions, but she ate her food in silence.

He looked at the water in his hand and gently swirled it around the glass. "Their names were Grover and Juniper." Annabeth looked up at him, "They should be preparing for their wedding, not rotting in the other room.

For how much I've been worried about my mom, they didn't cross my mind once. He was my best friend for 8 years and I forgot about him. How could I do that?"

"You think this is your fault?" Annabeth looked perplexed.

Percy threw his hands up in the air, "How could I not?! I should have called him, I should have warned him, I could have done _something._ "

"Stop Percy," Annabeth stood up and crossed the room, she sat down beside him, "Stop thinking in what if's, it won't change anything."

"I failed him Annabeth, when it mattered the most."

"No, you didn't. I don't think you have it in you to purposely to anything that would harm someone you love. This happened and it's awful and I'm sorry, but its not your responsibility."

Percy wiped his nose on the back of his hand, "How do you always know what to do and say?"

"I read," She said simply, "Everything. In fact I read this book about grief that said one of the most important things to do when experiencin- uh sorry," She cleared her throat, "um I can get carried away…do you, I don't know, wanna talk about them?"

"Grover and Juniper?"

"Yeah, how'd you meet?"

"Some kid in sixth grade was picking on Grover and I wasn't even friends with him then, but it made me angry…I - I got in a fight. The bully was a lot bigger than me," Percy smiled from the memory, "and she beat the crap out of me, eventually pushing me to the ground. The only reason I didn't get kicked out of school for fighting was because Grover stood up to the principal for me. Best friends ever since."

Annabeth settled a hand on his knee. "Sounds like he was a great person."

"He was. Much better than me."

Annabeth didn't say anything to that.

"And Juniper, she was perfect for him. They both wanted to save the world in their own quirky little ways. But now I guess, there's really not a world left to save."

"There's still us." Annabeth said quietly.

Percy suddenly felt self conscious, "Why are you here Annabeth?"

She straightened up, "Safety in numbers."

"The city is too dangerous, you said so yourself. My mom's probably dead-" Percy's throat closed up and he couldn't keep talking.

"Don't say that! There's still hope"

"Ah come on, Annabeth, you're so smart and-and logical. What's your head telling you?" Percy just wanted to hear the truth, he wanted to know Annabeth wouldn't lie when it mattered.

There was a long pause, but then she spoke. "That your mother is dead and you're going to kill yourself trying to find her." Annabeth withdrew her hand from his knee.

"So you think this is a suicide mission"

"Yes."

"Then why are you still with me?"

"I-I don't know."

"Bullshit" Percy felt like he was pushing it, but he never did know when to stop.

She looked at him sharply, anger in her eyes. "I don't have to explain myself to you." She stood up and moved to leave the room.

"Actually, I think you do!"

Annabeth laughed shrewdly, stopping at the entrance to the hallway, "You have a lot of nerve for someone I met a few days ago!"

Percy stood up too, "I don't think it's too much to ask why Annabeth, or else how can I trust you if I don't know why you do the things you do." He sighed, "We're working together, keeping each other safe-"

"Most of it me, saving your ass."

"That's my point!" Percy was getting frustrated, "Why do you keep saving me if you barely know me?"

Annabeth huffed and Percy quieted down, waiting what seemed like forever for her response. "I don't want to be alone, Alright?!" Annabeth's face was flushed. "It's worse when I'm alone."

"Oh," Percy sat back down slowly, "What is?" As fast as the two of them had heated up, they cooled back down. Everything that ever happened with Annabeth and him was unpredictable. He usually didn't know what to make of her.

"The memories,"

Percy nodded, "Memories of your first zombie? Those, well, those are tough"

"The memories are of my family." She walked back to the couch and sat down again, "I don't want to talk about it."

"I won't ask you to," Percy said, then feeling brave, "I _am_ glad we found each other."

"Me too," Annabeth gave him a little smile and another pat on the knee.

"If it wasn't for you I'd probably would have died my first night in the city," Percy laughed.

"Yeah, you're kind of hopeless on your own," Annabeth laughed with him.

Annabeth's eyes were the softest Percy had seen them. In the short time he had known her, he had relied entirely on her. She was the reason they were still alive, her hardness unyielding until now.

He stared openly at her face, at this girl he knew next to nothing about, but trusted with his life. Only now did it occur to him how lucky that had actually turned out.

Only now did it occur to him how close the two of them were, her hand on his knee suddenly felt like a hot iron, his body was itching for him to do something.

Looking at her lips, he contemplated closing the distance between them.

Her eyes were staring back at him, studying him. Percy was sure she could tell exactly what he was thinking. For a split second it looked like she might be the one to close the distance between them, but she blinked and the look was gone.

Her hand tightened and she stood up. "You should eat your food." Annabeth said before she disappeared down the hall into the bathroom.


End file.
